


Loyalty Through Experience

by insomniac7809



Series: Kathleen Shepard [6]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Mass Effect 2, Minific, suicide mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 20:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7404166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insomniac7809/pseuds/insomniac7809
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Garrus Vakarian has been groundside with Shepard on nearly every mission she's set out on since Omega, but when they hit the Collector Base for the suicide mission, she has another assignment for him.</p><p>Short fic set during ME2.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loyalty Through Experience

**Author's Note:**

> I have feelings regarding the team assignments at the suicide mission.

The team was making their final preparations when he caught up with her, after the rest of them had filed out and left her alone in the armory. Shepard was checking the seals on her O2 lines (again) when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

“Shouldn't sneak up on me like that,” she said. She reached a hand to place on his, and craned her neck up to smile at him. 

“You should have someone keeping an eye on your six.”

The smile faltered, a little, and she nodded. “I usually have that covered. I'm going to miss him out there.”

“So why send him away?” He let his hand fall to his side, and took a small step back. “You've taken him with you just about every time you left the ship, and I hear the two of you make quite the team.”

“The best.” Shepard leaned against the weapon bench, and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “But Massani can take your spot watching my ass. He'll probably appreciate the view.”

“You're teasing me.”

“A little.” Shepard sighed, and looked down to do one more redundant check of her assault rifle. “Miranda could do it, but aside from Jacob, half the crew doesn't trust her and the rest don't like her. I saw you backing Jack there. I can't risk that compromising the team. Not now.”

“Taylor. Still Cerberus, but less... enthusiastic.”

“Jacob's been working under Miranda too long for me to try and flip that around. I love Tali, but her field commands have been disasters.”

Garrus leaned against the bench beside her. “You could use Massani. He's been leading field ops as long as we've been alive”

Shepard shook her head once. “Which got everyone working for him killed until his people mutinied. Samara and Thane-”

“Do what they do on their own. They're not used to working in a team, never mind leading one.” Garrus flexed his working mandible in what she'd come to recognize as a grin. “Jack...”

“There it is. I'll put Jack in charge.” There was something almost like a laugh, and something like a smile as she looked back up at him. “You know, Vakarian, you never would've questioned assignments like this on the last _Normandy_. You think seeing your Commander naked gives you special privileges?”

“I...” Garrus paused, and reached a claw to rest over her hand. "I don't know what we're going to find out there, Shepard. Since you..." He trailed off into silence, not meeting her eyes. "I like knowing that, going into something really dangerous, I'll be there with you."

"Sure." She forced another smile. "So I can kill anything really scary before it gets close to your sniper nests."

"Or at least draw its fire until a better shot than you can put it down."

"You know one? You've been holding out on me."

He didn't laugh. Just wrapped his claw around her hand, and gave it a tight squeeze. “It's going to be bad out there.”

“I know. That's why I need you to get them through it. Like Miranda said. Command loyalty through experience.”

“Experience.” Garrus closed his eyes, and turned his head away from her. “Shepard... I don't know if I can.”

She reached one hand to touch his face, tracing the etches of the scars around the bandages. “I do.”

He turned back, quiet. She leaned forward, and he leaned down to meet her, pressing the warm, rough plates on his forehead against hers.

“Do you think they're afraid out there?” she asked. “Chakwas and Chambers and Donnely? Do you think they're scared?”

Garrus pulled back, meeting her eyes. “Hard to think they wouldn't be.”

“I hope they're not. I hope they know we're coming.”

“Then they aren't the ones who should be afraid.”

Shepard nodded, and turned back toward the bench. Picked up the helmet lying there, and moved one finger over its red stripe. “Move out, Garrus. I'll see you on the other side.”

\-----

She didn't look at him as they left the ship, onto the strange combination of flesh and metal that made up the Collector base. She didn't try to get one more look at him before he disappeared into the tunnels through the structure, enemy territory in every possible sense. She kept her eyes focused forward, her weapon ready, her senses alert.

“So, Shepard, what's the game plan?” Zaeed looked around at the alien surroundings with his usual blasé ease. If he was feeling any of the uncertainty or disorientation she was, the man wasn't showing it.

Garrus had the harder task, really, coordinating the geniuses and specialists and biotic powerhouses on his fire team. Kathleen Shepard, Urdnot Grunt, and Zaeed Massani had exactly one specialty between them, and they were exceptionally good at it.

“Grunt, on point. I'll trail behind and see if Kasumi needs support. Zaeed, you're on drag. Whatever they throw at us, we shoot it with bullets until it dies.”

“Sweetheart, you are singin' my guddamn song.”

“Hehhh, hehhh, hehhh.”

Maybe Garrus was watching her as she went, before she passed out of sight. Maybe he wasn't.

_This isn't goodbye. I'll see you on the other side._

_Come back to me again._


End file.
